But mobilized students share at least one demand: supporting demographic diversity on campus. The informal collective TheDemands.org compiles appeals by student groups at, by now, 79 universities. The single most common demand is for schools to increase diversity among faculty. But media coverage of the protests, demands and resistance to such initiatives (here, here, here and here) suggest that campuses are deeply divided.

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HISTORIALLY BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIESHBCU – U.S. Institutions of Higher LearningHistorically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African American community. They have always allowed admission to students of all races.

There are 107 HBCUs in the United States, including public and private institutions, community and four-year institutions, medical and law schools. Most were created in the aftermath of the American Civil War and are in the former slave states, although a few notable exceptions exist.MORE | INFO

So what do students really think about whether universities should make diversity a priority when recruiting students and faculty? Are campuses polarized into pro- and anti-diversity camps? These are important questions, but uncovering what students really think about hot-button issues is not simple.